I seem to have almost 300 DVDs. I've seen most of them but I feel that I am being neglectful if I don't have them constantly on and if I am not looking at the TV most of my life.
If I take a break to write and plan, storyboard or otherwise get on with business, it is a distraction.
This week I saw 49 up and the stately, seady March of the Penguins and I think it may be time to officially end the term "documentary style" as applied to shaky amaturish crap.
Even The Mist, which is a good film with a fine director, opts for the trendy TV-style handheld "make it up on set and let the camera operators do as they like" approach that undermines the spell of the black and white version of the movie because the traditional approach has been chucked and it is glaringly obvious that the film was not made in the nineteen fifties.
I know The Fashion of the Christ has to be clear and cleverly lit, like a series of paintings.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Fashion otc
Getting closer to shooting this; meanwhile did another PTC short "Shitegeist" which will be posted soon enough and we seem to be on track with the feature again but The Fashion will be a chance to do something quality with film and display some comedy chops.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
April
In some cultures, April is not allowed. It is outlawed. So just be thankful that this month prevents March from slamming right into May in its big rush for June summer vacation.
I have not done my taxes yet, have no passport, and have not directed a feature film so needless to say I am boarderline psychotic.
I may turn The Fashion of the Christ into a feature just so that I can get past that hurdle in one's life, the feature film directing rite of passage that we all must go through.
I am almost forty, which means I am 39. Today is the day before we talk about MLK, who was 39 when he got shot. What have I contributed to earn assassination?
When I turned 33 I realized I had not lived as much life as Jesus had by that age or John Belishi, or Chris Farley for that matter. Where was my Best of compilation? The people haven't had a chance to turn on me yet. Now at 39 all I can do is maybe remember some of the lyrics to the U2 song about MLK Pride(In the Name of Love) "Early morning April 4, shot rings out in the memphis sky, free at last they took your life but they could not take your. . .something something. . . in the name of something."
And sadly all I remember was that when I first saw that video I thought Bono looked like a young Robin Williams.
What will The Fashion of the Christ do to help bring people together? Not much. Jesus will hopefully be played by a black actor. That is at the mercy of casting. I still need a non-union black Jesus with the personality one expects from that figure and also the chops for satire.
I have not done my taxes yet, have no passport, and have not directed a feature film so needless to say I am boarderline psychotic.
I may turn The Fashion of the Christ into a feature just so that I can get past that hurdle in one's life, the feature film directing rite of passage that we all must go through.
I am almost forty, which means I am 39. Today is the day before we talk about MLK, who was 39 when he got shot. What have I contributed to earn assassination?
When I turned 33 I realized I had not lived as much life as Jesus had by that age or John Belishi, or Chris Farley for that matter. Where was my Best of compilation? The people haven't had a chance to turn on me yet. Now at 39 all I can do is maybe remember some of the lyrics to the U2 song about MLK Pride(In the Name of Love) "Early morning April 4, shot rings out in the memphis sky, free at last they took your life but they could not take your. . .something something. . . in the name of something."
And sadly all I remember was that when I first saw that video I thought Bono looked like a young Robin Williams.
What will The Fashion of the Christ do to help bring people together? Not much. Jesus will hopefully be played by a black actor. That is at the mercy of casting. I still need a non-union black Jesus with the personality one expects from that figure and also the chops for satire.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Earth Hour
I would write an entry tonight but I am conserving power.
Meanwhile it turns out the Jesus section of Zeitgeist is flimsy.
They actually misreported key story points on which they hun their arguments.
Well, The Fashion of the Christ is now a solid 19 pages, down from 25, with a more
focused story. Eager to get shooting.
Meanwhile it turns out the Jesus section of Zeitgeist is flimsy.
They actually misreported key story points on which they hun their arguments.
Well, The Fashion of the Christ is now a solid 19 pages, down from 25, with a more
focused story. Eager to get shooting.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter
Free Tibet
Boycott the Beijing Olympics.
China won't allow LIVE footage of Tiennamine Square during the games ????
Gee, how will they give people those fond rememberances years from now when they hear the name of that square? "Uh, yes, that's the place where they had some terrific events!"
Anyway, try to have a Happy Easter, and remember J.C. actually did have a following before the Council of Nicea so whether he existed or not he wasn't invented there, with all due respect to the charming Zeitgeist.
(And according the Fog of War, they were wrong about the torpedo incident that supposedly started Viet Nam too. But that's another story)
Boycott the Beijing Olympics.
China won't allow LIVE footage of Tiennamine Square during the games ????
Gee, how will they give people those fond rememberances years from now when they hear the name of that square? "Uh, yes, that's the place where they had some terrific events!"
Anyway, try to have a Happy Easter, and remember J.C. actually did have a following before the Council of Nicea so whether he existed or not he wasn't invented there, with all due respect to the charming Zeitgeist.
(And according the Fog of War, they were wrong about the torpedo incident that supposedly started Viet Nam too. But that's another story)
Monday, March 17, 2008
Happy St. Patrick's Day
I have decided to celebrate St. Paddy's Day by chasing some snakes and protesting Bill C-10 which threatens to bring down what's left of the Canadian film industry:
Senate Commerce, Banking and Trade Committee
banking_banques@sen.parl.gc.ca
Standing Committee Members
Angus, W. David Chair - C - (Alma - Quebec)Goldstein, Yoine Deputy Chair - Lib. - (Rigaud - Quebec)Biron, Michel - Lib. - (Mille Isles - Quebec)Eyton, John Trevor - C - (Ontario)Harb, Mac - Lib. - (Ontario)Jaffer, Mobina S.B. - Lib. - (British Columbia)Massicotte, Paul J. - Lib. - (De Lanaudière - Quebec)Meighen, Michael A. - C - (St. Marys - Ontario)Moore, Wilfred P. - Lib. - (Stanhope St. / South Shore - Nova Scotia)Ringuette, Pierrette - Lib. - (New Brunswick)Tkachuk, David - C - (Saskatchewan)
re: Bill C-10 and the Canadian Film Industry
I must protest the provision that would allow the Heritage Minister to withhold tax credits if a production was considered 'contrary to public policy'.
This is expected to spook the banks. They will have one more reason to shrink from a proposed project, wondering: will this final film meet the approval of the Heritage Minister and whatever panel is to be named later?
It is difficult enough to finance a film in Canada without having to be humbled and handicapped by completely unnecessary new legislation.
Far from whatever it means to uphold “public policy,” most movies are about some form of dissent or mischief, as is the case in theatre and literature. Any objection an individual or lobby group angling to include such a provision might have to successful films like Bob Clark’s comedy “Porky’s” or Ivan Reitman’s summer camp flick “Meatballs” or Sarah Polly’s “Away From Her,” that opinion has no relation to the marketability of the product nor its presumed ill effects upon the population or the reputation of Canada, which to date still remains cutting edge.
I am a filmmaker and I have benefited from some support from the Ontario Arts Council
and from student grants as have many of my peers. This has been for the sole purpose of
contributing to the Canadian film industry, and the reasonable fear of Bill C-10 is that it will prevent a return on that investment in human resources. Film and Television is just one industry among others that receive tax credits. It’s nothing fancy about arts funding.
Please stop Bill C-10. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Pope Will
Senate Commerce, Banking and Trade Committee
banking_banques@sen.parl.gc.ca
Standing Committee Members
Angus, W. David Chair - C - (Alma - Quebec)Goldstein, Yoine Deputy Chair - Lib. - (Rigaud - Quebec)Biron, Michel - Lib. - (Mille Isles - Quebec)Eyton, John Trevor - C - (Ontario)Harb, Mac - Lib. - (Ontario)Jaffer, Mobina S.B. - Lib. - (British Columbia)Massicotte, Paul J. - Lib. - (De Lanaudière - Quebec)Meighen, Michael A. - C - (St. Marys - Ontario)Moore, Wilfred P. - Lib. - (Stanhope St. / South Shore - Nova Scotia)Ringuette, Pierrette - Lib. - (New Brunswick)Tkachuk, David - C - (Saskatchewan)
re: Bill C-10 and the Canadian Film Industry
I must protest the provision that would allow the Heritage Minister to withhold tax credits if a production was considered 'contrary to public policy'.
This is expected to spook the banks. They will have one more reason to shrink from a proposed project, wondering: will this final film meet the approval of the Heritage Minister and whatever panel is to be named later?
It is difficult enough to finance a film in Canada without having to be humbled and handicapped by completely unnecessary new legislation.
Far from whatever it means to uphold “public policy,” most movies are about some form of dissent or mischief, as is the case in theatre and literature. Any objection an individual or lobby group angling to include such a provision might have to successful films like Bob Clark’s comedy “Porky’s” or Ivan Reitman’s summer camp flick “Meatballs” or Sarah Polly’s “Away From Her,” that opinion has no relation to the marketability of the product nor its presumed ill effects upon the population or the reputation of Canada, which to date still remains cutting edge.
I am a filmmaker and I have benefited from some support from the Ontario Arts Council
and from student grants as have many of my peers. This has been for the sole purpose of
contributing to the Canadian film industry, and the reasonable fear of Bill C-10 is that it will prevent a return on that investment in human resources. Film and Television is just one industry among others that receive tax credits. It’s nothing fancy about arts funding.
Please stop Bill C-10. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Pope Will
Monday, March 3, 2008
threat to film tax credits
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/02/28/film-tax-credits.html?ref=rsss
Suppose you have a humorless bunch sitting around deciding who gets the blessing of credits, no matter whether a project is far along and the anticipated money is already spent or not.
This is a roll of the dice - get some government funding even from Telefilm, but there is no guarantee that the credit you budgeted for will be honored.
Just one more reason for someone on your team to say "Gee, maybe we'd better not go there."
Even if "there" is where you live and eek out a career in film: Canada.
In short it's a way for veryy conservative people who have nothing to do with the film industry to give their more liberal neighbors a kick in the shin and get away with it.
Suppose you have a humorless bunch sitting around deciding who gets the blessing of credits, no matter whether a project is far along and the anticipated money is already spent or not.
This is a roll of the dice - get some government funding even from Telefilm, but there is no guarantee that the credit you budgeted for will be honored.
Just one more reason for someone on your team to say "Gee, maybe we'd better not go there."
Even if "there" is where you live and eek out a career in film: Canada.
In short it's a way for veryy conservative people who have nothing to do with the film industry to give their more liberal neighbors a kick in the shin and get away with it.
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